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School programs and guided tours

Our education programs present participants with an appreciation of role of the National Library as the world's largest storehouse of knowledge about Australia and its people.

We have curriculum-based school programs for years 5 to 12. The programs utilise the Library's exhibitions, collections and reading rooms as a springboard to find out more about Australian history and culture. Students critically interpret texts and learn search methods to understand historical and contemporary events and issues.

Looking for something else? To speak to an educator about tailoring a visit to suit your school students or teachers, contact us on 02 6262 1289 or email education@nla.gov.au.

For primary school students

Stacks of Stories: Library orientation tour

Canberra's best discovery tour leads primary school students through areas of the Library behind the scenes to the public. See the old tube room, maps and newspaper stacks, book-moving robots and a giant compactus.

Combination tour: exhibition and Library orientation

A jam-packed tour exploring all there is to see, including a behind-the-scenes look at the Library and an interpretation of historical items on display in the Library's exhibition spaces. Discover the Library's role, the treasures it collects, and changing technologies it uses to manage the vast collections.

For secondary school students

Online and Underground

Secondary students discover the history and role of the National Library, and how to source imagery, sound and text using the website. Students will examine digitised collections and understand the significance of original primary resources recorded in UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme.

For EAL/D (English as an Additional Language or Dialect) students

International Student Library Orientation

An introduction to the Library’s facilities tailored for international tertiary students recently arrived in Canberra. This short program introduces students to general library services and public spaces, how to utilise the NLA homepage to get a Library card and find online tutorials to aid searching catalogues, e-resources and databases.

For teachers

Teacher’s know-how: Library skills outreach workshop

Incorporate a morning at the Library into your schools PD opportunities. Contact education staff at the Library to find out which reader education presentations are on offer and can be tailored for your school requirements. Alternatively, we can come to you - book us in for your next weekly staff meeting.

Availability: we visit - you pick the day and timeBookings: 02 6262 1271 or bookings@nla.gov.auCost: free, at your place or oursDuration: 60 minutesGroup size: max 50